#help1family on American Red Cross Giving Day, March 28, 2018

American Red Cross Press Release:

VALDOSTA, GA – Each year, the Red Cross responds to about 64,000 disasters and the vast majority of these are home fires. The American Red Cross of Georgia is asking everyone to join us in supporting families impacted by disaster and #help1family on Red Cross Giving Day- Wednesday, March 28. A donation can help provide hope and urgent relief such a food, blankets and other essentials to people who need it most.

The Mendez family knows the importance of the Red Cross support after their Clayton County home was significantly burned in February. The fire happened so fast. Luis Mendez and his wife Yasmine had barely stepped away from their cooktop — he went outside briefly and she to another room — when she smelled smoke and ran back. “The kitchen was in flames,” she recalled. “My little ones were asleep,” she continued. “I grabbed them and ran out of the house.” The family was safe. But by the time firefighters arrived — and it wasn’t long — “everything was destroyed.”

A Red Cross volunteer arrived on the scene and provided the couple with kindness and compassion, as well as essentials such as blankets and food, and other life necessities that are so often taken for granted. Through the help of volunteers, Luis and Yasmine knew they were not alone during a challenging and stressful time.

Similar to Luis and Yasmine, every day someone, somewhere is assisted by the Red Cross. Giving Day is a 24-hour fundraising campaign supporting the work of the Red Cross, helping people across the country in need of emergency support. Financial donations are a promise of better days ahead for those in our community who have lost everything – #help1family and donate by visiting www.redcross.org/givingday, or by texting REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10. A donation can help provide hope and urgent relief such as food, blankets and other essentials to people who need it most.

Nearly every eight minutes, the Red Cross meets a family that may have lost everything to a home fire or other disaster somewhere across the country. Financial support on Giving will help in those minutes, hours and days after a disaster.

· A donation of $88.50* will provide a family of three with urgent relief, food, shelter, and other essentials for one day

· A donation of $60* can help provide six meals for disaster victims.

· A donation of $30* can ensure that children and families stay warm and get a good night’s sleep with six comforting blankets.

The Red Cross is grateful for the generosity of the American people on Red Cross Giving Day, during March is Red Cross Month and throughout the year.

In fiscal year 2017, the Red Cross of Georgia helped families recover after2,700 local disasters including home fires deadly tornadoes, wildfires, hurricanes flooding and severe weather, installed 7,200 free smoke alarms to help keep our neighbors safer from home fires, and supported an average of 20,470 emergency military calls.